Picking Up the Pieces
by LittleLee23
Summary: Mello finds that after running from his troubles at Wammy's House that life isn't all he expected it would be, when suddenly a stranger offers up an interesting proposition. Will Mello's luck finally take a turn for the better or will he end up in utter turmoil?


Picking up the Pieces

Chapter One

I was alone on the dirty street curb. My life was in pieces. I had once had everything going for me, I had once had the world balanced on my fingertips! I mean I was a potential successor for L himself and I had blown it. For a child genius at this moment in my life I didn't feel very intelligent. It had been three months since I had run from the orphanage, run from my problems, run from everything that had weighed me down. Or so I had thought. I now found myself gambling on the street for enough money to buy the necessities for survival, but was currently sleeping wherever I could find shelter. What came now? Now that L was dead and Near was on top. I had lived for that ever since I had entered Wammy's House, never once had I considered that I would fail. That I, Mello, would end up here.

I bowed my head, I was so ashamed. My whole life, even before my parents died, I was _the_ student, no less than the very best. Everyday I was groomed for perfection but even perfection will have its flaws. My temper, Roger always said, was a foul thing. My temper? Is that why you always thought I was second best to Near? Of course I get upset, and I get angry, doesn't everybody? Did I forget to mention that I'm human? Who are you to say that I'm not suitable to be L's successor because I have emotions? Be more like Near, you say. I'd rather die! That emotionless little droid. He's the better successor anyway, L never had a sense of feeling other than accomplishment. It's good that he stayed at the orphanage, stayed as Roger's prized pupil.

Work together? Ha, competitors don't just stop competing. Ever. This was weighing so heavy on my mind, and it had been since Roger had breathed word of L's death. I brushed my blonde hair away from my eyes. I found myself wishing that I could brush away the terrible situations I was constantly finding myself in, just sweep them under the rug and save them for a time I was more prepared to handle them. I was in a deep sulking session, maddened by my own sadness, when the glimmering red Camaro nearly drove up onto the curb.

While it screeched to a stop the window rolled down and out leaned a man probably in his early twenties. His red-brown hair fell over his dark amber colored goggles. A cigarette hung from his thin lips, he removed it quickly to speak. "Hey kid," he addressed me casually like I had known him forever. "What's your story?" He lifted his cigarette back to his lips and took a long hit off it. His presence made me nervous, like he knew me but I had forgotten who he was. Speaking off, who _was_ he exactly?

"Who are you to ask?" I spat on the pavement beside me and glared at him. Another hit off the cigarette. Blowing the smoke in my face he spoke, "Listen kid, you got a place to crash or not?" He asked impatiently, shaking the hair away from his goggles to get a better look at me. I didn't know what to say, this guy had no right butting into my life like he owned it, but I kept it honest. "Well, no." This guy was intimidating, if I was to lie he would see right through it. Plus I'm pretty sure that I looked like a scraggly little homeless kid.

His eyes went from a menacing glare to wide and friendly. "Well you do now, get in." he said with a kind voice and chuckled at my puzzled expression. I didn't move from my seat on the curb. He tapped his cigarette against the car's mirror, causing the ash to fall from the end and then proceeded to smash it out. I was surprised when he looked over with a sarcastic grin and flicked the butt at me, hitting me dead center in the chest. His laughter rang a little harder than before, "C'mon now, we don't have all day." He looked a bit more serious that he did previously while portraying his playful antics. I stood up and walked over to a bench, the one that I had slept on last night and grabbed the bag underneath it, the bag that held my few possessions, before I walked around to the passenger door. What am I doing? Pausing briefly to consider my options, the window on my side was rolled down. "I said get in." Said the man's voice although he didn't turn to look at me. At this point I was almost scared and did as I was told. "Buckle up." Said the goggled man before he sped from the corner at an outrageous speed.

Passing cars, blaring through traffic lights, causing drivers to slam on their horns. This driver didn't even seem to notice. This man was too, I couldn't think of a proper word, calm maybe? Too unafraid? Finally we were on the interstate and taking on a more natural speed. When he looked over to see me clutching the sides of the seat and with my back pressed hard to the back of the seat he burst into a round of laughter. "You'll learn to get used to it." he smiled. His smile was warm and nonthreatening. Either way I was starting to get pissed off, I mean had I just been taken hostage?

I sat forward some. "Okay man, so who the fuck are you?" The words were spit from tightly clenched lips. His eyes met mine for a moment. "Just call me Matt," he said, lighting another cigarette. I opened my mouth to tell him my name but he spoke first, blowing smoke into the air around us. "And let me guess, you're Mello?" _Who the hell was this guy?_

_**A/N: What do you think? Personally I love it (but then again I wrote it). I wasn't really a fan of these two characters until I read a couple other fanfics that really made me feel for them. Did anybody else see the premiere of the show 'Three' last night? Is it storming there? Anyway thanks for reading! Reviews make better chapters. :D**_

_**Happy Friday!**_

_**-Little Lee XD**_


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